Eiichiro Oda’s longest-running contemporary manga, One Piece is the undisputed king of the Japanese pop culture today. The manga has sold a total of 516.6 million copies worldwide, and even after 20 years, the series has been adding to its popularity, and 1060+ episodes are less to watch for its fans. And adding to the series’ popularity, films, merchandise, and a Netflix live adaptation of the series are present, as The King of the Pirates reigns supreme in Japan and the anime community around the world.
Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus has gained widespread popularity because of its compelling plotlines, unparalleled storytelling abilities, and distinctive art style which is loved by the fans of the series. And compiling the rich storytelling techniques with round character development and jaw-dropping action scenes makes the series a great and entertaining watch that one can never get bored of, ever. And Oda, the creator of One Piece has clearly stated that he will incorporate romance in his magnum opus as it is not his duty to show romance in his shonen manga.
Eiichiro Oda Will Not Incorporate Romance Into His Magnum Opus
Eiichiro Oda has been very vocal about his work, and the themes that he will incorporate in his series in the near future. The creator explains how he perceives romance as a romance solely as a staple of shoujo manga and he is not meant to draw every theme in his One Piece.
Recently, a One Piece news translator who goes by the name Sandman (@sandman_AP) went to Twitter to share a quote by Oda, where he states that he does not incorporate romance into his manga, as it is a “manga for boys.” Oda continued that even though girls have continuously told him how much they “love Luffy,” his response is hilarious as he tells them that “they should read shoujo manga, and it’s not my job.”
Oda (2009): I don’t draw romance because OP is a manga for boys. Female fans ask me to draw romance, but if they want to read it, they should read shoujo manga, and it’s not my job. I don’t care how many women love Luffy, but I don’t think it’s good if they love each other.😅
— sandman (@sandman_AP) July 28, 2023
Even though Oda’s One Piece is a shonen manga or a boy’s manga/ anime, it has a large female fan base. And survey states that after the time skip in the series, roughly half of the viewers are women. Moreover, the franchise tends to focus equally on its female characters, and its newest film focuses on a female character named Uta, who aims to bring a change in the Pirate world through her music.
However, even after more than 1000 episodes, Monkey D. Luffy, our protagonist does not have a lover or any sort of love interest and it is going to stay that way because of Eiichiro Oda’s personal decision and opinion he has for romance.
How is Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece So Influential Even After 20 Years?
Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece remains one of the most influential manga that has overcome the test of time, as even after 20 years, the manga remains popular among its fans. One Piece has sold 516.6 million copies worldwide, it is the most popular manga of all time and the release of new generation manga has not dented its popularity at all.
The series is immensely popular among its fans due to its minor contradictions such as cartoon-like, exaggerated art illustrating a complex pirate world with its own myths, rules, and complex characters. Moreover, the story steers from comedy to high-stakes drama with jaw-dropping animation action sequences that will make the fans crave more. And the story revolves around an idealistic dreamer, who wants to find the legendary treasure One Piece, and whilst on his journey he tries to unite the world.
The primary reason for the popularity of One Piece is the merging of different genres which complement each other which is engaging, enthralling, and much more than what meets the eye. Hence, it is impossible to explain the specialty of the series with a mere combination of a few words.
One Piece can be watched on Crunchyroll.
Source: Twitter
